Lost and Found
by Cat 2
Summary: An AU of the future shown in the episode Timeless.What if Starfleet had never called off the search for Voyager? First attempt at Voyager Fan fic, so please R
1. Chapter 1

It is recommended that one least seen the VOY episode "Timeless" to understand this story, as I am lousy at summarising plots. I don't Own Voyager, Harry Kim or Chakotay.

Lost and Found

2390

Zach POV

"Papers." The Klingon standing in front of me repeats. I continued to dig in my bag, cursing my mother. Why did she insist that I would need an extra sweater? Undo all my hard and careful packing, for a sweater that I neither liked, nor was likely to wear?

The Klingon is regarding me suspiciously. She seems huge, but is by Klingon standards only average size. The right side of her head is disfigured with a scar that looks like half her face has melted. The only piece of that side that is alive is her eyes. They're green, unusual in a Klingon.

"What's wrong K'Rene?" a woman walked down the gangplank. I recognise her, Dr. Michaela Hallman, the forensic anthropologist who I'm to work with. She recognises me as well.

"Hello Zach." I smile, while still rooting though the bag. "K'Rene let him in."  
The Klingon's eyes flash dangerously. "Doctor, I have to see his papers before I can..."  
"Got them!" I say, finding the pad, along with the declaration of no contraband from the customs' guys. I hand both over. She scrutinises the papers, then hands the customer declaration back.

"I think had there been any contraband in your bag, I would have seen it."

With what I think might have been a smile, she hands them back.

"Welcome to the Penelope, Mr Addy."

Pppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

The Penelope was smaller than most ships in the fleet. She was, as I was informed by Dr. Hallman, the fastest and the most advanced in the fleet. She was apparently notable as having the best sensors in the fleet, which I was shown before I'd even got to my quarters.

My quarters were small, as was to be expected, but bigger than my rooms at the academy. It was positioned between two officers, who were I was informed about my own age, called Nog and Jake Sisko. I made mutters to the effect that I would be delighted to meet them, later.

"You'll see them in the mess hall. Dinners at 1800 hrs." Dr. Hallman paused, as though uncertain. "I'll see you there?" I nodded, feeling that if I could I would avoid it. However there were no replicators in my quarters. So I unpacked and tried to relax, but it was useless. The images of what I'd seen kept playing before my eyes. Therefore I was relieved when six o'clock came.

sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

"This is supposed to be an excellent vintage."  
"I thought Starfleet regulations forbade the consumption of alcohol on deep space missions"

Chakotay smiled, as he finished pouring the wine. "Captain's privileges. Just don't tell K'Rene."

Tessa smiled, twisting her legs to sit on them.

"She'd be more critical of Starfleet than of you." She said, accepting a glass. This was a good day. When his attention was fully on her, on this ship, on the present, rather than stuck in the past with Voyager.

While she was thankful that unlike Harry Kim, the bad days were few and far between, so were the good days. So she was determined to make the most of it.

"You had a chance to talk to the new A&A officer?"

She shook her head. "I've booked him in tomorrow."

She sighed, and admitted surprising herself.

"It's good to be back in space."

Chakotay smiled.

"It gets in your blood." He agreed. Her heart skipped. He was deliberately avoiding the unspoken issue between them. They might actually have a nice romantic evening together.

"Lieutenant K'Rene to Counsellor Omond."

Sighing she touched her comm. badge.

"Omond here." Behind her she heard Chakotay recorking the bottle, accepting as much as she did that their evening together was ruined.

"Would you please report to Security Office? There is an incident requiring your attention."  
"Captain Chakotay is with me, K'Rene. Should he also come?"

There was slight pause, before K'Rene replied.

"I think it would be better if he did not."  
There was another pause, before the Klingon added. "There is nothing wrong with Commander Harry."

Tessa got to her feet, fighting the desire to smile at the Klingon's grammar.

"On my way." She turned back to Chakotay.

"I'm sorry."  
"Don't be." He said, kissing her. "I'll be waiting when you get back."

Vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Tessa made her way along the corridors, her mind racing. What could it be?

It could, if she was honest be anything from a suicide attempt to cabin fever. That was one of the disadvantages of serving on the Penelope. So far from home and port for so long, problems already present tended to get worse.

"Counsellor."

She jumped. She had been so caught up in her thoughts that she had reached security without realising it. The speaker was Lieutenant Romanus, a Security officer, who K'Rene had once said had a "Klingon heart."

"I was instructed to take you to the bridge. And to stop the captain from accompanying you,"  
"he isn't here." She replied, more confused than ever. He nodded and led the way to a turbo lift. She considered asking him what had happened, but changed her mind. She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

They reached bridge.

"I can't be sure!"  
"Well run it again!" K'Rene's voice was full of frustration as she addressed the Adorain Operation Officer. Keran's eyes flashed at her.

"SPS confirms location of USS Challenger." Nog's voice was full of fear, as though the Fergeni feared the Huge Klingon would strike him.

K'Rene swore, causing Tessa's heart to beat faster. This was serious.

"K'Rene what's going on?"  
K'Rene spun around and spotted her.

"Counsellor. You may wish to take a"

"K'Rene tell me what on earth is going on!" she was aware of her own voice rising, and as a good physiologist recognised the warning sounds of hysteria in her own voice. The Klingon drew in her breath and regarded Tessa with her Green eyes that spoke of some off world ancestry.

"We have found Voyager."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Dialogue in italic comes from the episode. Thanks for my wonderful reviews, they really do make me write more.

Chapter 2

"I'm fine." Tessa muttered, as she sat in her chair on the bridge. Keran was trying to force her to drink something, aided by K'Rene. But she couldn't.

She needed to confirm that the words she had heard before she fainted where correct.

"What do you mean you think you've found Voyager?"  
K'Rene, seeing she was not to be distracted, made her way over to an empty station. "About 2 hours ago, soon after I came on shift, a routine sensor sweep picked up a distress signal. We ran it through our records. It's Voyager."

Tessa fought to control herself.

"Where?" she asked.

"The Takara sector, just outside the Alpha Quadrant." Keran answered her this time.

"And you're sure?"  
"As sure as we can be from this distance." K'Rene said, slowly.

"How long till you can be certain?"  
"At current speed, 23 hours."  
"Increase speed. Warp 8."

There was a brief moment of silence before Nog spoke up.

"I need the captain's permission to"

He stopped at the expression on the faces of his three senior officers.

"Yes, mam."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"_Voyager's been thrown into Normal Space!"  
"Alter our slip stream course. We've got to go back!"  
"We can't! Even if they survive reentry at this velocity we won't!"_

"_What you are you saying? We've got to find them!"  
"Ensign." Chaktoy's hand grabbed his. "There's no choice."_  
"NO!" Commander Harry Kim sat bolt upright, the sweat pouring off his back. Fifteen years of the same dream, the same nightmare every night. You'd think it would get easier.

Instinctively his hands stroked the scars that littered his wrists. He'd tried suicide, several times. One thing surviving Voyager had done was make him understand the Klingon attitude towards survivors a lot better. They were right. The dead were the lucky ones.

Speaking of Klingons. He yanked himself up, glancing at the chronometer beside the bed.

Huh. 0600 hours. K'Rene should be off shift now. He dressed slowly, and walked out.

"Hey, how was the...?" he blinked. The anteroom was empty, except for Boshar, K'Rene's pet Targ, a creature nearly as badly scarred as her.

"Hey boy." He muttered, scratching him, behind the creature's ears. "Where's your mistress?"

Boshar made a snorting nose and began nudging his dish.

"Okay, Okay." He picked up to the dish and carried it over to where he knew K'Rene kept his food. Grimacing slightly, he lifted the green meat into the dish and places it on the floor, looking around.

K'Rene must be still on shift, as there was no evidence of a steaming cup of Raktajino, which she would have made, even if she had only been back for a few minutes. He tried to figure out what it was. Had it been a ship she should have contacted him.

Shrugging, he made his way over, and put the kettle on. As the water came to boil, he touched his comm. badge.

"Commander Kim to Lieutenant K'Rene. Everything alright?"  
Tessa watched as K'Rene's back stiffened, despite her being bent over her station. An Honorable Klingon could not lie, but nor was she ready to tell the truth.

She touched her own badge.

"Everything's fine, Commander." She said her voice too bright, too positive. "There's been a minor incident, which K'Rene is helping me clear up."  
"You want me to come up?" the concern in Harry's voice was so evident, that she almost told him the truth, but K'Rene stopped her.

"The incident will be cleared up in a few minutes, Commander. There is no need for you to come up." The tension was evident in the Klingon's voice, making Boshar whine. Harry cut the connection.

"What's going on?" he muttered to an empty room. Maybe Chakotay would know more about it.

"Come on boy," he said, slipping a leash around Boshar, "let's go for a walk."

Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

"Ma'am" the two women turned.

Keran's face was a pale blue, and his antennas were twitching more than usual. The scars that littered his face and arms were more apparent.

"There's no doubt. It's Voyager." His mouth was still open, as though he was about to apologize.

Normally there would be nothing to apologize for.

The finding of a ship was a cause for celebration. Answers for loved ones, and the end of a mystery. But this wasn't any ship.

Tessa closed her eyes, and rolled her toes within her boots. Biting down her pain, she forced her hand up to her comm. badge.

"Counselor Onmand to Captain Chakotay and Commander Kim. Please Report to my office."  
"on my way." Chakotay's voice was so calm and normal. That each word was like a knife in the gut.

She glanced at K'Rene.

"You'd best get some sleep. Something tells me none of us are going to be getting it for a while."

"Thank you Counselor, but I prefer to remain at my station. For now." She added, rapidly. She gazed at her, and Tessa was reminded of something K'Rene had once told her.

The captain's mate wields as much power as him.

"K'Rene!" she said, fighting to keep the sob from her voice. "Please."

She was sure she knew how Harry would react. And she didn't think she could handle it.

They stared at each other for a moment, before K'Rene punched in a request for relief.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"No!" Chakotay said, pacing across the office. "No! It's not possible."

Tessa gazed desperately, as the man she loved paced between the Klingon Tapestry showing the Healer Bandac at work, and the Mural that showed a legend of Chakotay's people, though which one escaped her at moment. His hands kept running though his graying hair.

"Chakotay" she began, but he interrupted her.

"No! It's impossible! Voyager was thrown out of the slip stream! She couldn't survive!"  
"We've encountered ships that have survived that and worse." She forced herself to stay calm. "Chakotay, we're ran all the scans. We're sure, as we ever can be that the ship is Voyager."

Her lover flung himself into one of her chairs.

"Dam it." He swore. She winced. He never swore. She forced her attention on the occupant of the other chair.

Harry Kim sat in total silence. Despite been nearly 10 years younger than Chakotay, the man's hair was graying. His face was harsher, unrecognizable as the eager young ensign from the holographic image of Voyagers crew that resided on Chakotay's desk. She knew he blamed himself for the loss of Voyager, yet he had said nothing at her revelation.

"Harry," she said gently, extending her hand. Harry got to his feet and marched out of the office.

Chakotay didn't seem aware of this, shaking his head.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Klingon legend said that the mok'bara had been brought back from the underworld by Kahless, and that he used the ritual movements to help his father grow use to his own body.

K'Rene wasn't entirely sure she believed the former, but the latter she knew to be true. After the destruction of her ship, she had been injured to the point that more than once her life had been disappeared of. Mok'bara had helped her recover far quicker than the doctors had thought possible.

She still did at least half an hour of the rhythmic motions before and after she was on shift.

She stood in the centre of the quarters dressed in the white robes that were traditional for the exercise. Her eyes were closed, to aid her entrance into a state of heightened awareness, so she hear Harry's footsteps coming down the corridor and the hiss of the doors as he was admitted.

She kept her eyes closed and tried to force her attention to remain on her breathing. She imagined him gazing around, searching for the weapons that normally adored the walls. She permitted herself a small smile. She had hidden them before she started the ritual. The bat'leth, which had been in her family for twenty generations, lay under the mat beneath her feet. The d'k tagh, that she had received from her grandfather, Klang son of, was concealed beneath her bed. The mevak and Hegh'bat ceremony knife, the correct weapons for what she was sure her Commander was considering, she had handed to Lieutenant Romanus with strictly instructions to hide them. The two yans, who usually hung above the table, were in Keran's procession, temporarily.

"I thought," the pain in her commander's voice was so evident that she could understand why Human's winced. "That it was dishonourable for a Klingon to be unarmed."  
"Indeed." K'Rene replied, opening her eyes and resting them upon him. "Except when it is to prevent another being killed dishonourably."

"DISHONOURABLY?" Harry's voice reverberated off the walls. "I KILLED THEM K'RENE!"

"We don't know that." K'Rene forced her voice to remain calm. "We both know the number of Reason that a ship can fall out of"  
"K'Rene."  
"Harry." They stared at each other for a moment. then Harry collapsed, weeping. K'Rene gathered him up in her arms, thinking as she did so how fragile humans were. And how easily they broke


	3. Chapter 3

I own nothing. The details of the damage of Voyager comes from the episode. Nice reviews make me update quicker.

Chapter 3

"She's lodge into the ice. Structurally, our initial scans show that she's safe." Lieutenant John Micro glanced nervously at K'Rene.

Tessa longed to tell him that it was nothing to do with his report that was making his superior's face like thunder, and wished that K'Rene hadn't preformed her usual trick of making the newest recruit give the report to the senior staff.

She had tentatively suggested this once, after an particularly vicious crash. The recruit, barely out of the academy, had come to her, a wreck, crying his eyes out.

"I can't. I can't." he sobbed, and telling her about the bodies of the children the scans had revealed. She had spoken to K'Rene, who had seen genuinely surprised.

"They have to learn." She said, and she was right. It was noticed that those security personnel from the Penelope, if they transferred tended to rise faster.

"The ice makes internal scans all but impossible, but we have been able to scan the surface and the three neighbouring planets. There were no life signs." A soft moan came from Harry. K'Rene's face darkened and the lieutenant fell silent. Tessa winced.

K'Rene's and Harry's relationship was confusing at best.

Harry was deeply in love with the dark alien, and would have married or mated with her in a second. K'Rene's behaviour on more than one occasion, including last night, had led Tessa to suspect that K'Rene felt the same.

There was however a problem.

K'Rene already had a mate.

Tessa knew almost nothing about him, and she had no reason to suspect that anyone, including Harry, Knew much more.

All she knew was that his name was Rodex; that he was a member of the house of L'Kor, a fairly large house, though with no seat oh the High Council; that, despite having been mated for nearly 10 years, they had no children; and, which she found interesting, they had been yaH or legally separated since before K'Rene joined the ill-fated I.K.S. Azetbur.

That was all in K'Rene's service record, and was by all accounts not too uncommon among Klingon's in deep space service. The yaH was indeed viewed as a sensible precaution, protecting a mate in the event of dishonourable action on the ship.

What was not common was K'Rene's refusal to discuss or even mention her marriage. Indeed had it not being on her record, most of the crew would not have even known she had been. The only person K'Rene had ever asked them to contact was her grandfather.

This coupled with the fact that the yaH had come into effect at two minutes past midnight on the night K'Rene departed, led Tessa to suspect that at least one party had not being happy with it.

She had suggested this to Chakotay, but he had disagreed, arguing that she might have only mentioned her grandfather from shock, or that her husband was unreachable, as they knew nothing about the ship he served on.

"Don't you think that's unusual?" she had asked, but Chakotay had shook his head and pointed out that no one was better than Klingons at keeping secrets. When she had mentioned the time of the yaH, he had suggested that it might have being applied for at a more reasonable hour and only come into effect then. She hadn't thought this was likely and had said so, but Chakotay, coming as close as he ever did to losing his temper, said that everyone was entitled to some secrets.

Maybe, she thought, but looking at the pained expression on the Klingon's face, that had very little to do with the appalling report, she promised to tackle her about it later.

She forced her attention back to the table.

"We'll know more when we begin rescue procedures."

K'Rene was tense and her eyes burned like coals. She expected all information to be gathered before a briefing, or at least not to public admit ignorance.

"That," Keran said, unhappily. "May be difficult."  
He handed over a communication, looking even bluer than usual.

"Arrived about 5 minutes before the briefing. It basically forbids us to mount salvage or a rescue operation on Voyager. The USS Beagle will join us soon; bring with them a specialist team.

"Specialist?" this came from T'Les, the Vulcan medic. "But we have more experience than anyone in Starfleet at rescuing ships. It is a most illogical decision."  
"Not from their point of view." Dr Hallman observed. "Like it or not, this isn't any ship. We're all emotionally involved with it."

"That," K'Rene said, her voice brimming with disgust. "Has never interfered with a mission."  
"Maybe not." Chakotay said, before an argument could break out. "But that doesn't alter Command's feelings that a different team might be better."  
There was silence for a moment.  
"Couldn't we argue we have to rescue a survivor?" Suggested Keran, half heartedly.

"There were no life signs." K'Rene said, holding her hand out for the Pad.

"There's the Doctor." Tessa said, suddenly. "We've no reason to suppose that sickbay was damaged, and he wouldn't show up on the scans."  
"While Counsellor that might be an excellent way of persuading the specialist," K'Rene's lip curled as she said the word, "To allow us to join them, we have no need of it to be allowed to access the situation."  
She handed the pad back to Chakotay.  
"Like all Starfleet vessels, our primary mission is exploration. This Planet is unexplored, so we should thus attempt to improve our knowledge and understanding of it."  
Chakotay nodded. Harry grinned.

"K'Rene you're a genius."  
"Thank you Commander."

* * *

"Really get's the blood running."

Harry was grateful that the cold climate suits hid his expression, at Keran's statement.

"Depends on your species." K'Rene response checked him. As a Klingon she'd be feeling this more than he was, despite her volunteering to help out.

He heard Keran offer an apology, while they adjusted the sensors that would allow them to see through the ice.

* * *

"Hey," Harry said, standing behind K'Rene and looking down over her shoulder. "How's it looking?"

K'Rene didn't bother to glance up as she replied,

"The power grid's destroyed, Bio gel packs frozen solid, decks 9 to 14 are now one," she shrugged slightly. "Working hypothesis is that she hit the planet's surface at full impulse."

Turning she stared at him.

"It wasn't your fault."

Harry snorted.

"I sent the phrase corrections that sent Voyager to an icy grave. Thank you very much Ensign Kim." The bitterness in his voice was physically hurting her.

"We don't know that." She said cautiously, wandering how much of what Rob Hunt, the chief engineer, had told her she should reveal. "There are many possibilities."

"Such as?" Harry demanded.

K'Rene opened her mouth to reply, when a beeping interrupted her. Turning she saw a message from the Klingon High Council flashing on her screen. Turning back to Harry, she saw he'd gone.

Cursing whatever the being that had thrown Voyager to the Delta Quadrant was, she opened the message.

When Lieutenant Keran called around later, for their daily sparring match, there was no sign of her.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

I won nothing, but nice reviews make me write faster.

Chapter 4

"Lieutenant K'Rene did that?" Chakotay's gazed down at the Ferengi, who sat nursing his right arm.

Nog nodded.

"I asked her whether she had the primary sensor reading calibrated yet: Dr T'Les and Dr Hallman are asking to try and get a rough idea for body numbers: and she spun around and hit me."

Chakotay nodded, still extremely worried and walked over to join Tessa, leaving the petrified Ferengi to the care of Dr T'Les.  
"This isn't the first report I've had of K'Rene acting out of character." He said softly.

Tessa nodded.

"Both Security officers and other members of the crew have reported to me their concerns regarding Lieutenant K'Rene." She said. "They've reported that she seems increasingly irritated and violent."  
"Could she feel threatened by the arrival of Starfleet's team?" Chakotay asked. Tessa shook her head.

"Starfleet is only sending one security officer, definitely not enough to cover a ship, even one the size of Voyager's. She and the officer, a Lieutenant Booth I think, had agreed to her and her team's assistance in this matter." She shook her head. "The only thing out of the ordinary anyone can remember is a communication that she received from the High Council on the day the primary sensor data was gathered. Both Harry and Keran remember her vanishing for several hours. I attempted to contact the department that sent the message, but they refused to divulge any information."  
"What does K'Rene say?"

"Typically Klingon denies anything is wrong. When I questioned her about the message, she respectfully requested I left." She sighed. "The only advantage I can see to the situation is that Harry is so worried about K'Rene, he hasn't had time to obsess over Voyager." She stopped at Chakotay's face.

"Sorry."  
"No!" the soft voice was firm. "I…I don't want them forgotten."

Tessa nodded gently, slipping her arm around her lover.

* * *

Personal Log: Zach Addy

It was something of a shock to see Dr Brennan standing there.

While rumors of a team of specialists would arrived had abounded all over the ship, no one had mentioned names.

So it was a shock when, while Dr Hallman was explaining the procedures for autopsies, a dark haired woman entered the lab.

She recognized me, but did not acknowledge, any more than I did. What happened before I left has driven a wedge between us.

Dr Hallman does not like Dr Brennan. While she says continuously that there is always more work than either of us can handle when a ship is discovered, she, I believe found Dr Brennan stand offish and cold.

Angela made a much better first impression, and she took me aside during dinner along with Jack and asked lots of questions about the Penelope and my life here.  
I did not witness the other piece of excitement in the day, but Nog did. He told Jake and me all about over dinner.

According to Nog, Lieutenant Booth came on to the bridge unannounced, when the shifts were changing.

He attempted, as far as anyone can tell, to review the data on Voyager, which at that moment was displayed on Lieutenant K'Rene's station. He did so, by pushing K'Rene out of the way.

The Lieutenant, I am informed is viewed as normally very even tempered for a Klingon, but in this case, as with many recent ones, she snapped.

The back of her hand caught Lieutenant Booth in the mouth and he fell sprawling on the deck. Nog was especially gleeful when he described this, more so than was necessary. It is, I think, a testimony to the strain the ship has been under, that when added that when K'Rene stormed off the bridge, she had locked her station and Rob Hunt is claiming he is unable to crack it, despite resurrecting a dead alien language in two days.

The challenge is fixed for tomorrow. I can only hope Lieutenant Booth will have the sense to apologize before then.

* * *

"I have to advise you to apologize." The phrases were correct, but Chakotay's voice was not.

"For what?" Booth demanded. They stood in the holodeck, surrounded by Penelope's crew, on the edge of a field. Brennan had told him what the field represented to the Klingons, but he'd forgotten.

"In K'Rene's eyes, you attempted to take her station. That's how promotion is gained on a Klingon ship. She sees it as defending her position aboard ship." This came from Tessa.

Harry could hear them, but he wasn't listening to them. Instead he was looking at K'Rene.

Someone, and he was fairly sure it was Sulu or someone from that era, had said that no matter what you did, Klingon's always looked uncomfortable in Federation Uniforms. Up until today, he would have said that they were wrong.

K'Rene had, as regulations insisted, shred her uniform, but she hadn't, as Harry had expected her to, put back on her old Defense Force Uniform. Instead, she stood in the white robes of the mok'bara, her eyes fixed on her opponent. She looked fierce, but controlled. Terrifying, but comfortable. In short, he thought, glancing around the crowded room, she was K'Rene.

She had selected Keran as her second, but for the moment, Harry couldn't see the blue skinned Adorian.

"He's a fool." The voice came from his elbow, and he turned to see Keran standing there. "Even if he apologized now, she'd still fight him to prove a point."

Harry nodded.

"He doesn't stand a chance. Chakotay and I both told him that. He refused to listen."

"So they fight." Keran observed. He then unclasped his right hand.

"K'Rene asked me to give you this. Said you'd understand."

Harry could only nod dumbly, as Keran made his way back to the corner. He knew what this was, had seen it hundreds of times in the chest in their quarters. But he didn't dare hope that he understood it. There was only one circumstance where a female gave her jinaq amulet.

He moved as through in a dream over to where Tessa and Chakotay stood.

"If you insist on going through with this," Chakotay's voice was frustrated, "then I must advise you that when she has you on the ground, throw your weapon away. That way she shouldn't kill you."  
"You don't have much faith in my abilities, Captain"

The former Marquis eyes blazed as he replied, "No Lieutenant Booth, I just have faith in my security Chief."

He moved into the centre.

"It is my duty to ask if this is necessary. Will you not resolve your differences peaceable?"  
K'rene's hair moved. Booth shook his head.

"Then chose your weapons." He stepped back, as Rob came forward bearing a tray.

Technically as the challenger K'Rene had first choice, but she had surrendered that to Booth, who selected a bat'leth.

"Man really has a death wish," Jake observed at Zach's elbow. "K'Rene's won completions for her skill with the Bat'leth. There's very few Klingons who stand a chance against her."

The combatants assumed the positions

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

I own nothing, but reviews make me write quicker.

Chapter 5

The mess hall of the Penelope served many functions.

Primarily it was where the crew ate and socialized, but it could also serve as an emergency sickbay or as a morgue.

Today, it was the scene of a party. Tessa could see everyone on the ship, including the defeated Luitentant Booth who was nursing what looked like a glass of Romulan ale in his bandaged hand.

In fact the only person she could not see was the gallant victor.

Quickly she glanced over at Harry, but he stood talking to Chakotay and Dr Brennan, and didn't seem to have noticed K'Rene's absence.

"Computer, scan for life signs."

"Working. There are 520 life signs upon Penelope."  
"Scan for Klingon life signs."

Even with the new team, K'Rene was the only Klingon on board.

"Working. There is one Klingon life sign on board the Penelope, located in holodeck 3."

Tessa blinked, uncertain as to why after a hard won victor K'Rene should be running one of her Calisthenics Program.

Checking that no one saw her, she headed up to the holodeck.

* * *

It was the last of them. The flames leapt up, consuming the robe.

The ritual was supposed to cleanse the body and the soul, but it felt nothing had changed.

"You missed one."

K'Rene spun around to see Tessa standing on the barren heath. In her hand she held the pin, with the symbol of the house of L'Kor on it.

She shook her head.

"The pin should be returned to his house."

Tessa nodded. She sat down next to the Klingon and gazed into the fire.

"I just got a call from N'Garen. She said, referring to the Klingon Captain who was one of K'Rene's oldest friends. "She's worried about you. Said she'd left nearly 30 messages, but you haven't got back to her."

"I've been busy." The words were defensive, the tone was not.

Tessa nodded. "She told me about Rodex."

K'Rene's eyes never left the fire.

"That he was killed defending his captain against a mutiny" she glanced at the Klingon for some response. "Led by his brother."

K'Rene nodded.

"You knew?"  
"I knew before he left."

Tessa nodded.

"So that's why you got the yaH."

"Why Rodex got the yaH." K'Rene corrected. "YaH is one of the few rights that a male has in a marriage."

Tessa nodded.

"Is that why you've been so angry?"

K'Rene sighed.

"It's complicated." She gazed into the fire. "I love Harry."

Tessa smiled. "That's obvious to anyone who knows anything about love." She paused slightly. "You shouldn't feel guilty. Rodex would have wanted you to be happy."  
K'Rene shook her head. If she had been human, tears would have been running down her cheeks.

"You don't understand." She said, sounding desperately miserable. Her eyes gazed deeply into the fire, as through seeking answers from it. "Kahless said, to mate without loving is living a lie and lying is the greatest dishonour."

Tessa nodded. K'Rene didn't seem aware of her.

"I met Rodex when I was at the Academy. He was in the year above me, and we got into a fight within about five minutes of being introduced. I won." There was a smile on her face, which quickly faded. "He asked me to mate with him soon afterwards. I refused."

Tessa nodded, well aware that the main reason K'Rene respected Harry was that he had defeated her. Just once, but it was enough.

"In 2380 B'Ellor tried to launch an attack to oust Matok as leader of the Council."  
Tessa nodded. "She failed."

But suddenly another through occurred to her. "But your family stayed loyal to Matok."

K'Rene shook her head. "My grandfather was very ill at that time. Indeed he was not expected to live. The house was in the hands of my uncle, Kandless." She signed. "Officially he remained loyal, but unofficially he was supporting the rebels." She shook her head, the old frustrations rising in her chest. "It was obvious to a child that the rebels would lose. But my uncle could not see that." She swallowed. "I did something foolish to protect my house."

"You married Rodex."

K'Rene nodded.

"I went to him. Made him an offer. Me, in return for protection for my house." She sighed. "He didn't love me, and I didn't love him. But he needed me. He needed a mate."

"Why?" Tessa asked. K'Rene shook her head.

"I'll take that to my grave." She said softly. "I gave him a lot. I was a good wife, I was loyal to him, I cared deeply for him, but he never had my love and he never wanted my body, so we lived." Her face darkened. "Until that petaQ of his brother, Kornan came up with his plan. Rodex wouldn't betray him." she was shaking her head in frustration. "But he wouldn't betray his captain either. So he left that day, knowing he would die."  
"So he got the yaH to protect you." Tessa said. "But why didn't you divorce him?"  
K'Rene smiled riley. "He asked me to. I refused. People would have wondered, I had no grounds." She gazed deeper in to the fire. "And if I had told them the truth, my grandfather would have never forgiven me for mating without loving." She lifted her head to look at Tessa, "even to save my family."

"And Harry?" Tessa asked. "Will they accept him?"

"My grandfather already has." K'Rene said softly. "I'm a daughter. One whose face was," she indicated the scars. "There is little chance that I can make a valuable alliance."

Having met K'Rene's grandfather, Tessa privately thought that it had a lot more to do with Harry making K'Rene happy. But she knew this would be pointless.

"And tomorrow," K'Rene said softly to the fire. " We go down." She lifted her green eyes to gaze at Tessa. She nodded.

"And I face my rival." She said bitterly, surprising herself. She had not realised how she felt about it, but now that it was out, it was like a dam had opened.  
"I don't even know who. He's always denied it, but I've heard the rumours. Seven of Nine, Kathryn Janeway, even B'Elanna Torres! His voice softens when he mentions any of them-"

K'Rene held up her hand, to stop the flow of words.

"Janeway was his captain, Seven an experience, and B'Elanna is the reason we could keep looking. Of course he remembers them all fondly. But he loves you."  
Tessa snorted.

"NO. Listen to me." The Klingon sounded so human, as she grabbed Tessa face and forced her to look at her.

"Take it from one who lived in a marriage with one who was in love with another." She said firmly. "He loves you. Maybe, once he cared for them. But no more." She released Tessa's face. "He loves you." She repeated.

"And Harry loves you." Tessa said gently. K'Rene nodded, and for a moment both women just gazed into the fire, seeking the answers that no one could give them.

* * *

"K'Rene!" Koran, heavily drunk rolled against her as she entered the deck. "Where have you been hiding?" He laughed slightly. "I'd say you'd been making up for lost time, but Harry's still here."

K'Rene, very calmly, reached out and extracted the glass from Keran's outstretched fingers and poured it over his head.

A cheer came from the crew, despite Keran's popularity. They were simply relieved to have K'Rene back.

"Here." Harry said, wondering over. "Chef asked me to give you this. Said it's the real stuff." He gazed at her, wishing he had the courage to ask about the necklace encircling his neck.

K'Rene took the mug from him, smiling at the warnog contained in there. She took a sip from it, and then leant in to him, tilting her glass towards him. He recognized the gesture and returned it.

He was right. She had meant what he thought.

As he came back, reeling as the warnog was extremely strong, K'Rene gazed at the gathered crew.

"What you waiting for?" She demanded. "Briefing for security in 20 minutes." She drained her glass and exited the hall.

Tessa stood next to Chakotay smiling at the expressions on faces as drinks were finished and many struggled to sober up.

Yeah. K'Rene was back.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

I own nothing. "Qab jIH ngIl" means face me if you dare, and is said at the ritual to confirm death of a Klingon Chancellor, while the body is hit with pain sticks. Nice reviews make me write more.

Chapter 6.

"We'll have to beam down to the surface, and then use a secondary source to beam down into the ship herself." Rob Hunt looked no worse for the 6 whiskies he'd consumed. Only the thickening of his accent gave it away.

Chakotay nodded.

"K'Rene, your teams sorted?"  
The Klingon nodded.

"Five teams covering the main areas of the ship. Each team currently consists of 4 security personnel, plus members from other departments. The list is available for inspection."  
She handed a PAD over to him. Tessa watched Chakotay glance over the data, knowing full well that he wasn't taking any of it in.

Chakotay nodded,

"All seems to be in order, Lieutenant." He got to his feet rapidly. "Beam down starts at 0800 hours."  
"Sir."

They all knew it was pointless to argue. If it had been any other ship, they would have protested, argued that they needed to figure out how incorporate the specialist team. But this wasn't any other ship. This was Voyager.

* * *

"Qab jIH ngIl" the challenge belonged to the Sonchi ritual, but it felt strangely correct coming from the dark mess hall. Tessa called for lights, though she was not surprised to see the only Klingon of the Penelope sitting at one of the mess hall tables.

"Counselor." Tess could only presume that K'Rene had been too wrapped up in her thoughts to notice her approach, because she seemed genuinely surprised.

"What are you doing about so late?"

She considered lying, but decided that the Klingon deserved the truth.

"Chakotay." She began, but the Klingon nodded, as though she understood.

The continuous pacing of a man too tense to sleep had eventually got to her, and she had left their joint quarters on the pretence of getting some green tea.

"And you?"

K'Rene shrugged.

"I can never sleep before a mission."  
"And I thought an honorable Klingon did not lie."  
K'Rene shrugged, before admitting,

"I cannot sleep normally, but there is an additional reason for my restless."

Tessa nodded.

"Harry." She highly doubted that the commander was pacing as Chakotay was, but she did know that K'Rene would be smelling his pain.

"partly." The Klingon, for once seemed inclined to tell the truth. She lifted her head and gazed at Tessa. "Have you had a chance to speak to Rob?"

Tessa shrugged.

"Not since the briefing."

K'Rene nodded.

"Rob was not happy with the situation, so he ran some simulations." She fixed Tessa with her piecing green eyes.

"There is only one explanation for the way we found Voyager. She was sabotaged."

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

I own nothing. Nice Reviews make me write quicker.

Chapter 7

"team Beta, prepare to beam down."

Tessa fought the Claustrophobia of the cold weather suit, as she stood on the transporter platform. Her team would beam down to the mess hall, then make their way to sickbay, which was serving as the main meeting point. Chakotay's team was dealing with the area around the bridge, and Harry's was looking at sickbay. K'Rene's team was next and they were going to try and tackle Engineering.

She felt the vague buzzing of the transport beam, and saw a brief flash of the icy landscape of the planet, before the dark interior of the ship emerged. Marius withdrew a torch and a tricorder from within his suit.

"the air's still breathable. It's safe."

Tessa nodded. She could hear similar comments coming over the ships, as she undid the mask from her face, removed the goggles and looked around.

It was spooky. It was dark with icicles hanging from the ceiling. Marius stood with two junior grade Lieutenants by a panel connecting a portable power source. The panel fizzed into life. Marius swore.

"as we expected. Biopacks frozen solid. We'll have to use torches exclusively." He turned his attention to his team.

"Carlos, Vinnie. You take the tubes. Simpson, Roberts. Take the quarters. Counselor you're with me. Tag all bodies." The team spilt up.

Tessa stepped forward, letting the beam of her light follow the contours of the room, her heart bounding.

It felt so eerie to be in a part of the ship that was normally bursting with life, and for it to be silent.

"here we are." Marius thoughts cut through her own."Mr. Neelix, I presume."

In the light of her torch she could see a humanoid male, with large amounts of yellow to reddish-brown spotting on the head and arms. Marius leant forward, his fingers feeling though the ginger hair across the top of the head.  
"skulls smashed. Probably flung into something here when the ship went down."

"well I hope you died clean and I hope you died quick." Tessa muttered. Noticing the expression on Marius's face she explained. "the Green fields of France. It's an old earth song my mother used to like."

"by dropkick Murphy?" Marius asked, straightening up after attaching a tracker to Neelix's body. He shrugged. "My father was a fan."

*

The bridge was in almost total darkness. Only the light of Chakotay's torch pierced the gloom.

It trailed over the bodies of his dead friends.

Tom Paris thrown back against the boundary, his body crumpled like a rag doll. Kathryn Janeway lying to one side of the main bridge section, her face frosted white like some clown's. He paused for a moment to stroke her hair, before attaching the tag.

In a small anteroom off the bridge, Seven of Nine, looking like she was asleep. He stood for a moment, fighting the tears that threatened to overwhelmed him.

*

"Lieutenant."

K'Rene straightened up, having secured a tag on the body of B'Elanna Torres, which lay sitting against the walls of Engineering.

"that's the last of them, sir."  
K'Rene nodded. Out of an estimated 150 bodies, they had located 138. The rest would have to be achieve with scanners later on. She touched her comm. Badge.

"Lieutenant K'Rene to Captain Chakotay and Commander Kim."

*

"the crew of Voyager acted with distinction and valor"

On the bridge Chakotay jumped as the last recorded log of Voyager fizzled out, and K'Rene voice came echoing over the speakers.

Slowly he forced his hand up to his badge.

"yes Lieutenant."

"we've got all we can get, sir." Chakotay nodded.

"alright. Begin beam up. Remove all none essential personnel."  
"sir." The acknowledgement was crisp and Klingon. Maybe that was why he did what he did next.

"Lieutenant K'Rene, Counselor Oman. Please accompany me to sickbay." He added in a lower voice, "there's someone I want you to meet."

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Author's note: This will probably be my last chapter before the new year (and no nagging me for a new one on New Years day, you know who you are). A lot of the dialogue between the doctor and Harry and Chakotay is borrowed from the episode. I hope you enjoy this, and can only offer my apologies for the combination of cold and exams that attacked me and my muse over the last month. Nice Reviews help us both to feel better.

Chapter 8

"Please state the nature of the medical emergency." The balding man who appeared in the middle of the disaster area that had once been sickbay, stopped dead. His expression was one of shock and horror as he surveyed the area. He took in the ice cobwebs hanging off the ceiling, the snow covering all surfaces, and finally the visitors standing in the corner.

"Long time no see." Harry was the first, indeed it seemed the only one able to speak.

"Ensign." The man sounded shocked and this, K'Rene supposed was reasonable. He had last seen this man nearly 15 years ago. A lot had changed.

Harry shook his head.

"It's commander now."

Like many victims that she had seen, the man was shaking his head.

"What's happened to the ship? The crew?" to you the words hung unspoken in the air.

"Where's your mobile emitter?" Harry demanded. As they had inserted the portable power cell, Nog had warned them of an approaching storm.

"It's over there, but..."

"Stick it on." Harry said, quickly.

"I demand an explanation!" The man was getting anger and desperate.

Chakotay stepped forward and spoke slowly.

"It's a long story." He said, slowly. He closed his eyes as he said, "Doctor, the date today is the 11th December 2390. Fifteen years ago, on 24th December, 2375, Voyager crashed."  
"Fifteens years?!" the Doctor was merely staring at them.

"Give or take a couple of weeks." Harry offered. K'Rene felt that if they were to get out of here before the story, she would need to interfere.

"It appears that they attempted to land here, but were unable to do so."  
"The crew?"

Harry answered this one, the sea of bitterness rising from his chest.

"Except us, dead. You've been buried inside a glacier for the past fifteen years."

The doctor was shaking his head.

"You two were on the Delta flyer, ahead of Voyager. You made it?" there was amazement and despair in the same breath.

"All the way back to earth." Harry confirmed. "We got home doc. And all it took was killing everyone we cared about."  
"Harry." Chakotay began, but K'Rene interrupted him.

"Captain." K'Rene interrupted. "Lieutenant Keran reminds you that if we do not leave now, we will be trapped here for twelve hours. The storm has gathered speed."

Chakotay nodded.

"Care to join us, Doctor?"

"To go where no man has gone before or to spend an eterminuty in cybernetic oblivion." The Doctor observed ruefully. "Let's boldly go."

The ghost of what might have been a smile flickered across Harry's face, as he playfully punched the doctor on the arm.

"Rob. Five to beam up."

* * *

Dr Hallman bit down on her lip. Her back felt like it was on fire and she had had to stop herself hitting Dr Brennan, who apparently was an expert in rotting bodies, rather than frozen ones.

She straightened up, rubbing her back, and glanced over at Zach, who was standing over the autopsy table.

She wandered over slowly. The body of a child of about 6 or 7 lay sprawled in front of him, perfectly preserved.

"You O.K?" she asked. Zach made no response.

She ran her eyes over the corpse.

"It's always difficult when they're that size." She said gently.

Zach shook his head.

"I've dealt with smaller than this." He said slowly, "but... it's complicated."

"Always is." She smiled. "You got a cause of death?"

He nodded.

"Hypothermia. Child just died in her sleep."

She nodded.

"Poor kid." She paused, before adding.

"Finish this one up. The rest can wait till tomorrow."  
Zach shook his head vigorously.

"If I'm not here," he said, desperately. "Then I have to be there."

* * *

"I'm surprised Starfleet kept up the search for so long." The Doctor moved around the sickbay, with a degree of confidence that surprised all.

"They didn't want to." Harry said, bitterly. "Nine years ago, Star Fleet wanted to give the search. Rated it low probability of success."

"So what made them change their mind?" all eyes fell on K'Rene who shrugged.

"I was able to persuade the council to put pressure on them."

She ran her fingers through her hair.

"It is not important. What is important is that we find out what happened here."

"So we can prevent it from happening again." Tessa said, gently.

"We know what happened." Harry said, angrily. "_15 years ago, I miscalculated the slipstream threshold and transmitted the wrong phase corrections to _Voyager_. Boom! They were knocked out of the slipstream and sent to an icy death; 'Thank you, Ensign Kim._'"

"That is looking less likely." Dr Hallman stood, in the doorway.  
"What do you mean Doctor?" Chakotay demanded.

"I just finished the autopsy on B'Elanna Torres." She paused. "There's something you ought to see."

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks for everyone's patience. Hope this chapter was worth the wait.

Chapter 9

"Klingons and Humans are automatically very similar, though there are some differences"

Why Dr Hallman felt obliged to tell them what they already knew was any ones guess, as she guided them past the tables bearing covered forms of bodies.

"Brak'lul is the main one, though there is also their ability to see in the UV spectrum and_"

"Doctor." Tessa interrupted, recognizing the impatience playing across both K'Rene's and Harry's face.

Dr Hallman shook herself slightly and continued.

"Klingons also react differently to phaser burns. The effect tends to be less,"

"Which is why they have traditionally used disruptors." Dr Brennan added. She might have said more, but Dr Hallman shot her a look.

"This ability can be transferred, like most Klingon genetics." She pulled the sheet away from B'Elanna's body. It was a mess. The only clue present that the body had once belonged to the Marquis engineer was the small ridges on the feet. Fighting the desire to throw up, Tessa leant over, examining the body.

"What happened?" she asked, sparing a glance at Chakotay and Harry. Chakotay's face was expressionless. At points it was easy to forget that before this, before Voyager, Chakotay had been in the Marquis. He would have seen this a thousand times.

Harry's hands stroked the phalanges of B'Elanna's right hand. K'Rene regarded the mess with no emotion.

"Initial thoughts were that she tried to shut down the slipstream, it exploded and killed her."

"The bones would seem to suggest that the body was thrown after death." K'Rene drawled. Dr Hallmond gritted her teeth.

"That was Dr Brennan's opinion." She said icily. "And that is true. However the burns show two distinct patterns." She called up the images on the screen. "These are plasma. You can see the hotspots." Tessa nodded, though she couldn't really.

"These ones however," Dr Hallmond continued, summoning another image up. "Were made by a disrupter. You can see the blackening around the edges of the wound."

She looked at her captain. "In other words, someone murdered B'Elanna Torres."

Tessa a gasped looked at her lover. The hardness of a Marquis captain was there.

"Meeting in twenty minutes." He said slowly. "K'Rene_"

"Contact The house of L'Naan and get their permission to hold on to the body."

As his gaze transferred to her, Tessa thought quickly,

"Profiles of the crew, and check the logs."

He nodded. "And Doctor..."  
"Prelim autopsies. Try to determine if they got to anyone else."

Chakotay nodded. At points he hated how well he'd trained his crew.

* * *

"Lu'" K'Rene said softly, "Qapla!" she sighed off.

"They agree to let us hold the body then?" Harry asked.  
"Doesn't your culture hold that listening to the conversation of another is rude?" K'Rene asked, walking through.

"And doesn't your culture view it as rude to speak so that another cannot hear?"

"Touché." K'Rene said, smiling. "Yes, they agreed. The body is nothing to do with them really. They simply wish to show it to B'Elanna's mother, to convince her that her daughter is dead. After that they couldn't really care what we do with the body. They will meet with us in forty hours."

"But the body was to be shipped home for burial." Harry said. He remembered the notes displayed above the body.

K'Rene nodded. "To her father. I just gave my word I would contact him." she regarded Harry uncertainly. "How are you?"

Harry shrugged. "I've gone from been fully responsible for the destruction of Voyager to partly responsible."

"How do you figure that?" K'Rene asked. Harry shrugged.

"If I hadn't insisted on the slipstream drive, the guy couldn't have pulled it off."

"He would have done it at some other point. Traitors...simply wait."

Her fingers stroked the scars on her arms, where the plasma had burned her. Harry gazed up at her.

"Did you..." he struggled for words, "ever wonder why? Ever ask Kahless, or who ever why you survived?"

K'Rene nodded. "Every day. I wonder why out of all the members of the crew who he must have passed who were injured why it was me that Kor that grabbed and shoved in that environmental suit. And," she added. "Why he eventually cut off his air supply to save me." She shrugged. "I...I still wonder, but I accept that I may never know. I am merely grateful that I did."

"I wasn't." Harry admitted. "You've no idea how many times I've wished I was buried under ice with them."

K'Rene nodded.

"I...I hated myself." He sighed. "That's what's been keeping me going. Trying to fix my mistake." He turned to face her. "Now it turns out that it might not be mine, and I...I don't know what that means. For the future."

K'Rene shrugged. "Quite simple." She said, softly. "You live. You save others. Same as the rest of us. Oh. And one more thing."

"What?" Harry asked. K'Rene opened a door and extracted the crucifix that had been found in his quarters in Voyager.

"You thank your god, for your life."

Harry sighed. "You want something to eat?"

K'Rene nodded softly. She then turned her attention back to the screen, on which she had uploaded all the information from the internal sensors on Voyager.

She knew the information was there, she just wasn't sure. Wait. That person shouldn't have been there.

Carefully she reached out and touched her communicator. "K'Rene to Captain Chakotay."

"Chakotay here." The voice sounded dull and expressionless, but she was sure she could change that.

"Please ask all senior staff to report to Security. There's something you have to..."  
Too late she realized that the soft hiss of the opening door wasn't from Harry. She hit the floor with a soft thud.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Massive thanks to everyone who nagged me about this. I meant to post this on Sunday, but internet difficulties were against me. Sorry, I promise I'll try and improve.

I am happy to report that I have now finished the story on my computer, so it should be up soon.

I am considering a sequel either based off the episode Latent image, or Chakotay from our universe ending up in this one. I might even end up combining both. What do people think?

Chapter 10

"She must have heard the intruder, and turned her head. As a result he missed the temple of the left of the head. That's the reason she's still alive."

He could hear the voices, but they sounded like they from a great distance.

"The guy must have good, to get the jump on her."

It was like after they head that Voyager had fallen out of the slip stream. Chakotay had apparently heard talked the whole way back, trying desperately to get a response out of him, but he had no memory of what he had said, just a huge white noise that had gone on for weeks.

"Or it was someone she trusted."

He could feel Lieutenant Booth's eyes on his back, but couldn't summon the energy to care when K'Rene was lying there, so still. It didn't matter. It was true. She did trust him and would have let him close without a struggle. But he knew he hadn't hurt her.

Gently he ran his fingers over her hands, feeling all the scars. Most were from the explosion, but some were older. Quietly he tried to remember the stories she had told him about each one.

* * *

"He really loves her."

Dr T'Les tried unsuccessfully to conquer the desire to laugh as she bent over the screen. Straightening up, she apologised.

"I'm sorry, Doctor, it just sounds so weird to have any one question it."

"How did they meet?" the doctor sounded curious, and T'Les was happy to supply the details.

"About 5 and a half years ago, Penelope picked up a Klingon distress call. They investigated and found a Bird of Prey floating, power out all the crew dead. But that wasn't the source of the distress signal. That was two figures, still attached to the ship by a life line. One was a dead Klingon male. The other was so badly burnt that at first identifying it was Klingon was difficult enough or that's what my predecessor said." She paused. "I only joined the crew five years ago.

"They got her to sickbay and investigated. It quickly became evident that the ship had been sabotaged. "She shook her head. "The Council was unhappy. They initially suspected both in conspiracy, but when K'Rene regained conscious, she swore she was innocent. A recording found on the ship backed her up." She sighed, "The dead Klingon, his name was Kor, was the saboteur. He'd apparently passed her on his way to the airlock. She was still alive, though severally burnt, and he took her with him. They were out there for hours. She remarked that she wished he'd left her behind, then at least she could have died an honorably death with her shipmates, not slowly suffocating out in space. He agreed and without further explanation cut his own supply." She lifted to stare in the hologram's eyes. "If he hadn't done that, she'd have been dead. As it was, she merely hung helpless in space for hours, listening to her rescuer gasp out his life."

She fixed the doctor with brown eyes. "The first week she was conscious after her rescue, K'Rene tried to kill herself twice. When that failed, she attempted to starve herself." She shook her head. "I was newly arrived on the Penelope, and I walked into sickbay for my first shift and found Harry and K'Rene wrestling over a slice of Ratko pie. Harry managed to pin her, how I'm not quite sure, and force a mouthful down her throat. After that, K'Rene agreed to eat, mainly when Harry was present, but she was eating and gaining strength after she was well enough to leave sickbay, she moved in with Harry." She shrugged. "Both of them claimed that it meant nothing, that on Klingon ships it is quite normal for males and females to share quarters with no sexual connotations. All that's true, but it was oblivious that…" she paused. "Have you ever seen the pots of Agel 4?"

At the hologram's expression, she moved into her office, and returned bearing a strangely shaped pot. Half of it was slender and curved, the other looked like a child's first attempt at pottery, but somehow it was beautiful.

"After a major earthquake there, a potter, seeing his business facing ruin, started sticking broken halves of pots together. The shape is unique, and it always reminds me of Harry and K'Rene. They're both broken, no way around that, but together, somehow, they heal each other." She shook her head softly. "I don't think either of them honestly understands it, but…" She paused. "It works. Better than between Tessa and Chakotay at least." At the doctor's expression, she added "They've being sleeping together, pretty much since they met at headquarters. Tessa was a counselor specializing in survivor's guilt. Oh" she said as though she had read the holograms thoughts. "Chakotay wasn't her patient, Harry was. But they met, started a relationship and when Chakotay took command of the Penelope, Tessa came along too. She really loves him." She sighed. "But it's a fool's love and the worse thing is Tessa knows it. What she loves is at best half a man." She moved over and began fiddling with a screen. "The rest of our captain died on your ship, with her."

"Which her would that be?" Doctor asked, looking her, his head slightly on one side. T'Les shook her head.

"I don't know. And the worst thing is, I don't think Tessa does either."

* * *

Zac POV

The story of the attack on Lieutenant K'Rene is all over the ship by breakfast. Jake tells me that security has eliminated Commander Kim from their enquiries, and most of the regular crew.

The security logs apparently showed an unauthorized override of the door's security system. The code was not one used on the Penelope. Thus the key suspects are the outside team, much to the crew's relief.

I simply shrugged. I wasn't overly bothered by the news. While I had no cause to dislike K'Rene personally, she is a Klingon and Dr. Brendan's presence had revived all my memories of that species and the trouble that came from their presence.

I excused myself and walked to the lab.

If I was honest, I didn't think the security teams decision was the result of anything other than an irrational resentment of outsiders.

Then I saw the DNA test Dr. Hallmond had set to run against a tiny spec of skin she'd found on Acting Lieutenant Torres. And my heart stopped.

* * *

"Harry." T'Les said. "Go to bed."  
The brown eyes blinked and looked up at her.

"Security is still looking for clues in our quarters."

"Well go get something to eat then, or see if you can help Chakotay."

"He's suspended me." T'Les couldn't say she blamed him. K'Rene was vital to Harry sanity.

"Harry," she said, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "She's going to be alright. She just needs rest. And you know full well she'll have both our guts for garters, if she comes around and finds you've been sitting here all this time."

A smile, or the nearest she ever saw to one, flickered across Harry's face. "Klingon's aren't a great one for romance."

"They are." T'Les said, ignoring sarcasm in the voice. "Just of their own kind."

Harry sighed. "Take care of her." He said, softly.

T'Les smiled. "She's with the Doctor and me. She's in good hands, Harry."

"I know."

But his eyes remained fixed on the Klingon, as he edged out of sickbay.

* * *

Zac POV.

"We found a skin cell caught on B'Elanna's hand. It looks like she physically attacked the traitor, which might explain why he used a disruptor on her."

Dr. Hallmond suddenly winced, her whole body tensing.

"Doctor?" K'Rene's deputy moved towards her, but she shook her head.

"It's alright." She gave a slight cough. "I've been running a DNA analysis on it all night, it should…"

She frowned at the computer. "That's odd; the computer reassured me that there was sufficient."

She shook her head and glanced at me. I forced my attentions to remain on Tom Paris (fractured skull most probable cause of death, though there were several other injuries that would have almost certainly being fatal.

"I'm sorry I wasted your time, gentlemen."

I could feel her eyes resting on the back of my head, and I felt ashamed. But I had to protect the secret.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Good morning." I looked up to see Jake bearing down on me with a tray of food. I nod and he takes a seat.

"So…" he says, slowly. "How are things in A&A?"

I shrug. "Alright. How are things in… coms?"

It was a guess; I couldn't remember what he'd said he did.

"Tough." Jake admitted, his face falling. "No matter how many times you do it, writing the dead letters is always tough."

There didn't really seem to be anything I could say to that, so I returned my attention to my muesli.

"So…" Jake said, stirring his own cereal. "What happened between you and the specialist team?"  
I tried to stay calm.

"What makes you think I even know them?"

Jake smiled. "I'm a reporter. Or I trained as one. We know these things."

I sighed. It was stupid to try and keep things secret, and Jake and Nog were the nearest I had to friends.

"It was a ship. A Klingon ship. I was with the team at that point. Her name was or when translated was Avenger. She had been attacked by something that speeded up the decay process." I swallowed remembering it. "Their captain had locked those infected in a room. Just left them to die."

Jake nodded. "A very Klingon response. I'm surprised he didn't gas them."

"I think, had he been in his own space, he would have done." I admitted quietly. "Perhaps that would have been for the best." I blinked softly. "There was one Klingon still alive when we got there. He was infected, very badly. Even if he had survived, he would have lost his limbs."

"A fate worse than death by Klingon standards." Jake said, gently. I hardly heard him.

"He was looking at me, with eyes that were full of pain. He must have been in agony, but he made no sound. Just looked at me, then at his knife and back at me. I just…knew what he wanted me to do."

"_tova'dok_." Jake said. "When warriors communicate with out words."

"I took the knife. It was heavier than it looked. He leant his head back, offering me his neck. He'd ditched body amour at some point, he was completely defenseless. Lieutenant Booth came up behind me. He startled me and the knife…it fell from my hand, piecing the chest. I knew I shouldn't pull it out, that it would make the wound worse, but…I did it. I don't know why." I looked at him. "I killed him."

Jake sighed. "it was an accident. And it was what he wanted. His life as a Klingon, if his injuries were as bad as you say, was over."

I nodded. "The council thought I had performed a ritual suicide. So did everyone else. They said they would not press charges. His son sent me a message of thanks."

"but Dr. Brendan didn't see things that way." Jake guess.

I grimaced at the remembrance of those last weeks. "she suggested I should seek a transfer."

Jake nodded and we ate in silence. Then he spoke.

"I'm not in Starfleet. My rank is acting at best." He swallowed. "when I was fairly young, I lost my mother, and a few years later my father. I went to live with my grandfather on earth, but when he died, I…I went to pieces." He smiled ruefully. "Nog had just got his commission. He basically insisted I accompany him. K'Rene had just taken over as chief of security." He shrugged. "I'd been a teenager during the Cassadarian Wars, so I had encountered Klingons as enemies. I mean, I'd encountered them as friends, but I wasn't sure what to make of this one." He paused. "I'd been on board for about two weeks, when I was in the mess hall, and I bumped, literally into K'Rene. I thought she was going to kill me. Instead she thrust a book at me." He reached down and retrieved it. "The accounts of Brandon the healer, a hero of Klingon legends." He shook his head. "just read it. Don't know how. But it is still healing nearly millennia later."

At the cynicism on my face, he smiled. "just try it." He said, getting to his feet.

* * *

No matter how many times it happened, no matter how prepared you thought yourself for it, no matter what your species, coming around from a blow to the head was painful.

K'Rene felt herself rocketed into wakefulness, her stomach churning. It was only by sheer self-will that she avoided spraying the contents of her stomach over Harry, who held her tight.

"You're o.k.!"

"Was there ever any doubt?" K'Rene muttered, looking around. T'Les was bending over her, running a tricorder up and down, while the man they had rescued peered down at her. "How do you feel?"

"Like someone hit me on the head." K'Rene grunted, pulling herself into a sitting position. Romulus was there by her side.

"Don't suppose you saw who did this?"

She closed her eyes, forcing her mind to function. "It was a male," she said, remembering the smooth line of black she had seen, the light reflecting off the two pips on the collar. "And a lieutenant."

She watched the look that passed between her lover and her second in command.

"You think you know how this did?"

Romulus quickly explained. K'Rene smiled.

"And I think I know why."

"Ridiculous!" Lieutenant Booth's team were starting to pack up. They would arrive at earth in less than a day, and already Chakotay was readying his crew for talking to the families.

"Not at all, lieutenant," K'Rene moved around, flanked by Romulus, every inch a warrior. "John Ball was a security officer; there was no need for him to be in engineering, yet that where he was."

"According to records that you could have easily altered."

"He was also, according to Starfleet records," K'Rene continued, ignoring the insult, though her eyes flashed dangerously. "Your uncle."

"What of it?"

"Torres had skin cells under her finger nails, so she must have been physically grappling with an attacker. John Ball was the only person there who had no reason to be." Her eyes meet the lieutenants. "My attacker was a human male with two pips on his collar. The code used to gain access to my quarters did not belong to the Penelope."

There was a pause, before Booth began to laugh.

"You've no proof." He said, softly. "John Ball was a Starfleet officer without a stain on his character. Most people are going to see it more likely that he was grappling with a renegade Marquis officer to stop her."

Harry and Chakotay both took a step forward at the insult to B'Ellana, and K'Rene growled softly.

"Leaving aside those ridiculous accusations, the events of your attack. You couldn't have seen the guy for very long and you were suffering from a concussion. The code could have easily, indeed probably being manipulated by one of your officers." He took a step towards Chakotay. "Everyone knows your ship is a walking joke. A Marquis captain, a first officer who should have been dismissed as incompetent years ago, a renegade Klingon, a counselor who became involved with a patient, an Adorian Traitor," he was only a few inches from the man, "and that's before we even start on your Syboik Vulcan medic." for a moment it looked like Chakotay was about to show Lieutenant what Boothby had taught him.

Booth smiled "You have no proof. And if you and your band of misfits repeat one word of it, I'll destroy you."

"Yes. They do." All heads turned to see Zac standing in the doorway holding a pad. "There was sufficient skin under Lieutenant Torres' fingers to get a DNA Identification."

He fixed his eyes on the women straining next to the irate Lieutenant.

"I'm sorry Dr. Brendan." He said, his fingers gripping the spine of the old book. "But One Mission, One leader."

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

_Italics are Klingon_

Chapter 12

Zac POV.

I was hunting for that god forsaken sweater. My mother would be upset, especially if I had lost it, when the door opened.

Dr. Hallmond stood, holding a PAD in her hand.

"What the hell is this?"

I shrugged. "I presumed you would prefer that I resigned rather than you be forced to request a transfer."  
She gave a small cough. "Excuse me?"

"I interfered in an on going investigation, nearly allowing a traitor to go free."

She shook her head. "That's for a court martial to decide about John Ball; K'Rene is choosing not to press charges."

I shrug.

"Zac." Her voice makes me freeze. Dr. Brendan always called me Ensign Addy. "I'm dying." She wandered over the view point. "This will be last time I see earth. Oh," she stopped me before I could speak. "Don't offer me platitudes, others have already done so." She sighed. "Chakotay offered to let me stay. I refused. Space, once it's in your blood it's impossible to get it out." She paused. "Come with me."

We walked though the corridors of the ship, until we came to one of the side rooms. From inside I could hear the rumble of voices.

"Here." Dr. Hallmond pushed a tricorder into my hands. "There's no universal translator in there."

I held it up and listened.

"_He struggled with her, determined that she could not reach her destination. She fought n determined to try and save her crew, her family. She fought him tooth and nail, tearing at his face with her fingers. The dishonorable petaQ pulled a disruptor on her and_…" the voice, which I recognized now as belonging to Lieutenant K'Rene, trailed into silence. Another Klingon voice, sounding weaker asked.

"_It was a good death?"_

"_Yes_." K'Rene's voice sounded so gentle that I was shocked. "_It was a warrior's death. A good death."_

"_Then that is all that needs to be said_." Dr. Hallmond signaled that we should move so that we could see inside the room.

K'Rene was standing next to the body of Lieutenant Torres. Beside her stood an elderly female Klingon supported by two others. She must have been very ill to allow this. As we watched, all four flung back their head, howling in the Klingon death ritual.

Dr. Hallmond beckoned and I followed her away.

"That was Miral, Torres's mother."

I chewed my lip. "She seemed comforted by K'Rene's words."  
Dr. Hallmond nodded. "Of course. Because in spite of her divorce, her estrangement from the child, her daughter's rejection of her heritage, when it mattered, when it came down to it, she died as a Klingon. That's all that matters."

We moved on.

In the comms. Room, Commander Kim was speaking with Admiral Paris.

"Admiral, I know you and your son had your differences, but on Voyager, I saw a man who was loyal to his friends, who risked his life countless times to try and save Voyager, who always believed we'd get home." He swallowed slightly. "There was a letter found among his personal effects, Admiral, for you." There was a pause. "Admiral, Tom had the option to abandon his post, to escape. He stayed and tried to save the ship. It was thanks to his skill as a pilot that… that Voyager was found at all. Under anyone else we would have viewed ourselves as lucky to find particle traces. He was a brave officer. And my friend."

There was a pause, before I realized that the admiral had signed out and that Commander Kim was alone in the room. Tears were on his cheeks, and I felt rude just being there.

Gently Dr. Hallmond guided me along the corridor.

We were now on the bridge. Chakotay was standing on there, watching the stars fly past. We watched, unseen as Tessa approached him. I watched her as she touched his arm, and he turned, gently kissing her.

We backed, unnoticed away. Outside my quarters, Dr. Hallmond turned to face me.

"You screwed up. I'm not going to lie about that. But the Penelope will give you a chance to make it up. You've seen the worst, not the very worst, but certainly very bad. But just then, you saw things at their best. When people have their answers, when wounds are healing, when for the first time in years people get a good night sleep." She paused, and shook her head. "It's your choice, Zac."

I watched as she began to walk away.

And I chose the road less traveled by.

"Dr. Hallmond." She turned, wincing in pain. "I wish to withdraw my resignation. For now."

She smiled.

"Well then welcome aboard, Mr. Addy."

The End

That's that people. Hope you've enjoyed it.

Let me know which sequel I should be working on first.


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